Cyber Monday 2013: The best deals (UPDATED)

The Monday after Thanksgiving is the biggest online shopping day of the year -- and the time to clean up on some amazing deals. Here are the best ones we've found so far.

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Cyber Monday 2013: The best deals (so far)

Black Friday is behind us -- now it's time for Cyber Monday. The biggest online shopping day of the year is the time when online retailers work hard to one-up each other with the best deals. Some of those deals are beginning to be revealed (and some bargains are already in effect). Here are the best ones we've found so far. Updated, 7:30 a.m.

Moto X ($349 contract-free)

Moto X (read review)
One problem with gifting cell phones is the whole pesky contract situation. Motorola makes things easier with its Cyber Monday promotion on the Moto X. Get a contract-free model for any of the four major US carriers for $150 off ($349 for the 16GB version, $399 for the 32GB model). You can even customize it, too. Supplies are limited, so jump in as soon as the sale starts at 6 a.m. PT Monday. (If you or your giftee don't need LTE -- and you're an AT&T or T-Mobile customer -- check out the similar Moto G, available soon contract-free and unlocked for $200/16GB.)
Meanwhile Amazon is offering the Moto X for a penny with 2-year contract on Verizon, while they last.
Read full review

Asus Transformer Book T100 ($299, Microsoft Store)

Asus Transformer Book T100 (read review)
It's a tablet! It's a laptop! Whichever form you prefer (the detachable keyboard is included), this 10-inch portable runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and boasts great battery life -- and it can be yours for just $299. It's already sold out online, but you can find that price at Microsoft Store locations through Monday.
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Dell Venue 8 ($129, Newegg)

So you don't want a crazy-cheap Kindle Fire tablet, perhaps because you don't want to join Amazon Prime for $80/year? Maybe a crazy-cheap 8-inch tablet from Dell will tickle your fancy. At 16GB with "pure" Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), this one's not going to last, despite the flaws noted in our review.
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Editors' Rating

Verizon is offering many of its top phones and tablets at a discount through Cyber Monday, and waiving the $35 activation fee as well. Among the best deals: the LG G2 and the Nokia Lumia 928 are free -- with a two-year contract, naturally. You can also get the Droid Maxx (with its awesome all-day battery life) for $100 off. Follow Verizon on Twitter or keep your eyes on its Web site for the latest promotions.
Read full review

Steam Autumn Sale (through December 3)

Steam, our favorite (along with Good Old Games) place to buy PC and Mac games on the cheap, is having a sale from now through Tuesday. Deals are being swapped in and out every 8 to 24 hours. You can find dozens -- if not hundreds -- of great games for as little as $3.99 to $7.49.

Moshi discounts hit at midnight Monday

Moshi is an accessory manufacturer that makes everything from headphones to iPhone and iPad cases. At 12:01 a.m. PT on Monday, Moshi will post several coupon codes on its site: a $50 coupon code; a $20 coupon code (which will work five times); a $10 code (also good for five purchases); and a $5 code (good for 50 purchases). Each of the codes works at Moshi's online store. Get 'em while they're hot. Update: Moshi says all but its $5 coupons are already sold out.

Amazon Cyber Monday Deals Week

Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla of online shopping, and the e-tailer is in the middle of a days-long list of ongoing deals that will run through the entire week. In addition to the great Kindle Fire sale we mentioned earlier, Amazon's other deals can be found on its Cyber Monday Deals Week page, where new time-limited deals are posted every 10 minutes (you can see current and upcoming deals to plan accordingly). We've also pulled out some of our favorite deals on the following pages.

Blu-rays for under $10 (Amazon)

Blu-rays for under $10 (Amazon)
Amazon has a boatload of Blu-ray discs for under $10. But here's the real pro tip: search out the ones that have digital copies included; those are the iTunes or Ultraviolet (or both) codes that will add the movie to your cloud-based video library for on-demand viewing. Many of the Blu-rays also have a DVD version included, too.

Monoprice deals

Monoprice.comFrom battery packs to iPhone cases to an HDMI-over Cat 5 distribution network, one of CNET's favorite price-busting retailers is pulling out the stops. Most discounts aren't super-steep, but we're guessing that's because Monoprice's original prices are so cheap.

Sony HT-CT260 ($200, Amazon, Best Buy)

Sony HT-CT260 (read review)
If the $300 Pioneer is too rich for your blood, the Sony HT-CT260 is the best alternative. Also Bluetooth-enabled, the Sony is another of our favorite sound bars of 2013, and it's selling for just $200 at Amazon and Best Buy.
Read full review

Editors' Rating

Polk RM6750 ($149, Newegg)

Polk RM6750 (Newegg)
Sure, soundbars get all the ink, and some of them sound very good. But if you want actual stereo and surround separation, nothing beats an actual surround system. We haven't reviewed it, but at this price, 5/5 "eggs" from 141 listeners is enough to earn it our recommendation too.
Than again, if you have an extra $50 to spend, we'd definitely recommend something different. Next slide, please...

Logitech Harmony Smart Control ($100, Amazon, Best Buy)

Logitech Harmony Smart Control (read review)
The Harmony Smart Control is Logitech's most affordable RF-capable universal remote, meaning you can forget about that pesky "line of sight" issue that plagues infrared-based remotes. Use the included simple remote (right) or any iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or Android phone -- interchangeably -- to control your home theater setup, with the control pod (left) passing on the commands. Normally, this unit retails for $130, but both Amazon and Best Buy are selling it for just under $100.
Read full review

Lenovo IdeaPad S400 ($379, Best Buy)

Lenovo IdeaPad S400 (Best Buy)
Nearly all of the sub-$400 -- or even sub-$500 -- laptops you'll see on sale have a big catch: either they're refurbished, they're running a crappy underpowered processor (Celeron, Pentium, or a throwaway AMD), or the screen is tiny. The Lenovo IdeaPad S400 is a nice exception: it's got a 2012-era Core i3 processor, a 14-inch screen, and a 500GB hard drive. If you're looking for a decent, get-it-done laptop for Mom or Dad, this a great choice for the money.

Samsung ATIV Book 5 ($649, Newegg)

Samsung ATIV Book 5 (Newegg)One of the best deals we've seen for a touchscreen-equipped Windows 8 laptop with a Core i5 processor, this 14-inch Samsung hits the right specs notes for a very aggressive price.

Editors' Rating

LG 39LN5300 39-inch TV (Newegg, $299)

LG 39LN5300 (Newegg)We didn't review this bare-bones 39-inch TV, but based on how other LG sets have fared in our reviews recently, we don't expect performance as good as, say, this $389 Vizio--an excellent TV we'd recommend to just about everybody instead. But hey, the LG is $90 cheaper.Update: Now the Vizio is only $62 cheaper; Newegg seems to have raised the price to $327.